"I can wait until when you have time."
I mean I can wait for you, until whenever you have time for me. Is that the right way to say it?
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Is what correct to say? Please edit your post to clearly indicate which sentence or sentences you think are incorrect. If possible, please explain why you think they are incorrect.Em.– Em.2016-12-18 23:59:09 +00:00Commented Dec 18, 2016 at 23:59
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2@Max: It's quite clear what Serafina is asking. Her English is not as good as yours; that's why she's here. Show a little charity.TonyK– TonyK2016-12-19 00:18:25 +00:00Commented Dec 19, 2016 at 0:18
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@TonyK I was responding from the review queue. This post was flagged as low quality, so I was hoping to remedy that by having OP post as clearly and as many details as possible. Please, everyone… details. PleaseEm.– Em.2016-12-19 00:36:24 +00:00Commented Dec 19, 2016 at 0:36
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@Max: this question is crystal clear: Is the given sentence correct, or does it sound strange to a native English speaker? No more details are necessary.TonyK– TonyK2016-12-19 00:41:49 +00:00Commented Dec 19, 2016 at 0:41
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@Max I think pulling the title into the body of the question should make it more clear. Welcome to ELL Serafina - it helps us write better answers if we understand a little more about why you are unsure whether something sounds strange. Is there a particular word or phrase that's bothering you in your sentence?ColleenV– ColleenV2016-12-19 00:41:55 +00:00Commented Dec 19, 2016 at 0:41
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1 Answer
Yes, it sounds weird. Correct is
I can wait until you have time.
The word until plays two roles. It can be a preposition, which takes a noun or a noun phrase:
Stay at home until Thursday.
Wait until the first snows of winter.
Or it can be a conjunction, joining two finite clauses:
We will fight until we die.
I can wait until you have time.
But it can't take an adverbial phrase. So these are wrong:
I can wait until when you have time.
Stay at home until on Thursday.
I hope this is clear! As a bonus, the words before and after follow the same rules as until.
